Alien Vs Predator Requiem

I think the hype for this movie was greater than it seemed. I hadn't really heard much more than a couple of friends saying they were interested in seeing the movie. So imagine my surprise when I arrive at AMC Empire 25 on Christmas morning to find a decent size line for tickets. I'm a Christmas movie person. Every year, on Christmas, I go out to see a movie. It's just much more fun than just sitting around watching the Yule Log on CW.

Anyways, I didn't realize until I got inside the theater that most of the people in line where there to see Aliens Vs. Predator. I sat down in decent seats with my fiance and friend to wait for the movie. People kept rolling into our theater until just before the actual movie started. It was an amazing thing to see for a Christmas movie.

Finally, the movie started, but was it worth all the underground hype?

I have to say that I personally liked the movie. AVP:R was true to the continuum of both the Aliens and Predator franchises. The movie deals with what was seen at the end of AVP. The alien with Predator genes arises and then causes the ship to crash land back on Earth. Before the crash, the remaining Predator on the ship let's out a distress signal, which is receiving on the Predator home planet. It is seen there, and a single Predator flies to Earth, to destroy the Aliens and all evidence of them.

Some great fight scenes were done for this movie. I think they actually improved on the what was done on the first AVP. Watching the Alien/Predator hybrid take command of the rest of the Aliens, was like watching an Alpha male wolf control the rest of the pack. The Predator himself was obviously a veteran who knew what he was doing. He took some great hits from being out numbered but he wasn't going to g down without a fight.

The down side to this movie had to be the outside story lines. We are watching some cool stuff and then the scene changes to people living their normal lives. It felt out of place. In every other movie, from both franchises, most scenes have something to do with either finding or fighting said Alien/Predator. I just didn't feel there was any real point to these scenes in the movie.

Overall, I was happy with the Alien and Predator scenes, but would have enjoyed the movie better without the outside story lines. AVP:R is definitely a rental. Not bad in the whole Alien and Predator continuum, but the movie as a whole isn't worth the price of the movie ticket.